Highfields Spencer Academy, Derby
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Highfields Spencer Academy excels at creating a caring, respectful environment where pupils thrive and feel safe. The school has rebuilt its curriculum to be ambitious and well-structured, with excellent support for early reading and pupils with additional needs. Staff are skilled at teaching new concepts clearly and checking pupils' understanding, while maintaining calm, purposeful behaviour throughout the school.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are happy, safe and benefit from strong pastoral support with clear 'RISE' values of respect, inspire, success and empathy
- Reading is prioritised with effective phonics teaching and extra support for those who need it
- Pupils with SEND have their needs met with precision and care, with effective use of resources to help them access the curriculum
- Behaviour is calm and purposeful with consistent management by staff
- Very positive attendance rates achieved through effective systems and family engagement
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, the curriculum does not sufficiently account for what pupils have previously learned, so staff do not always build securely on pupils' prior understanding
- The school should continue to refine its curriculum to ensure content is well sequenced and builds progressively
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with pupils' safety prioritised and pupils taught strategies to be safe in the community and online.
Extracurricular Activities
netball, football, dance, karate, residential visits, camping in school grounds, educational visits to space centre and castles
Highfields Spencer Academy is a primary school where pupils are happy and safe, with the school being ambitious for all pupils to succeed and thrive. The school has made tangible improvements since its previous inspection and provides a broad, well-sequenced curriculum with strong pastoral support.
At a Glance
22.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
66 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
28.4
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
258 pupils
266 capacity
8 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Derby
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Derby
Admissions Demand - Derbyshire
Places available
9,886
Applications
7,225
Got 1st preference
96.4%
Got preferred school
99.2%
Primary admissions across Derbyshire (2025/26)
Inspection History(2)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0449%
Overall absence
8%
Persistent absence
175
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Highfields Spencer Academy
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